Zucchini Pizza Bites are a low-carb pizza option thanks to a zucchini “crust.” Perfect for a quick snack, a fun appetizer or even a light meal. I bet I can’t eat just one!
Recipe overview
Why you will love it: Zucchini Pizza Bites are easy to make and fun to make.
How long does it take: about 15 minutes
Equipment you will need: Oven grill, flat rimmed baking dish
Servings: makes about 30
What’s better than pizza? Easy, low carb pizza bites with a slice of zucchini squash. (Well, maybe not better than pizza, but definitely a close runner-up.) Low carb and low in calories too, at just 121 calories for five bites of pizza!
My daughter is obsessed with pizza and loves these Zucchini Pizza Bites. The thing is, she won’t eat zucchini if I just fry, roast, or grill her, but cover her with pizza sauce, melted cheese, and crunchy hot peppers and she’s good to go.
You can have these pizza babies on the table in about fifteen minutes. They’re perfect for a quick lunch or dinner, and they’re also quite nutritious as three food groups are represented: vegetables, dairy, and meat.
Pizza bites are a popular appetizer, but don’t take my word for it. At the next game night you’re hosting, have a record ready and watch them disappear.
Why You’ll Love Zucchini Pizza Bites
- Easy to do: These little gems are really easy to make. Really! And it doesn’t have to be cleaned up much either.
- Nutritious: Basically, each bite is mostly zucchini with a little extra love. Zucchini is low-carb, low-calorie, and packed with fiber, antioxidants, and nutrients. You really can’t go wrong there.
- Versatile: If you’re not a pepperoni fan, skip it. You can top these pizzas with a different pizza topping or leave them as a cheese pizza.
what you will need
- Zucchini: This tender-skinned summer squash comes in all sizes. The bigger the pumpkin, the bigger your pizzas will be. Avoid the really huge ones as the seeds will get a little tough if the squash is too ripe. By the way, zucchini does not have to be peeled; The dark green peel is perfectly edible and nutritious.
- Olive oil: I use olive oil spray to lightly coat each slice. It adds flavor and ensures the slices brown nicely. You can also brush them with olive oil.
- Italian spice: This combination of dried herbs is often used in Italian dishes. I like to sprinkle some on each slice to enhance the pizza flavor. If you only have dried basil or dried oregano, that works too. You can also use homemade Italian seasonings.
- pizza sauce: Choose your favorite canned/jarred pizza sauce or make your own pizza sauce. It’s pretty easy and tastes way better. Marinara sauce works too.
- Mozzarella cheese: What would a pizza be without cheese?! A sprinkling of grated mozzarella on each slice of pizza creates just enough gooey melted cheese.
- Pepperoni: Pepperoni pizza is always a favorite and a classic. I used mini hot peppers for the photos, but regular size is fine too.
- Parmesan cheese: Finish off with a sprinkling of salty Parmesan.
How to make pizza bites
We’ve tested these a few times to see if they’re just right for you. We tried baking and grilling them. We grilled them before adding the toppings and after adding the toppings. The tricky part was tenderizing the zucchini without overcooking the toppings. We’ve done all this to ensure your Zucchini Pizza Bites are perfect the first time!
So here’s how:
Start by cutting the zucchini into even slices about an inch thick. Discard the stem and flower ends. Lightly brush each slice with olive oil and place in a single layer on a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle the slices lightly with Italian seasoning.
Fry the slices for four minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and turn each slice over.
Top each slice with sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni and parmesan.
Place the pan back under the broiler for a few minutes, until the cheese is melted and the pepperoni start to curl.
Allow the pizza slices to cool for a few minutes before serving. Otherwise they can really burn your mouth.
I hope you love these fun mini pizzas as much as we do!
Tips for Success
- Preheat the grill. It is important that the oven is hot before putting the pizzas in.
- Cut the zucchini evenly. We found ¼ inch thickness to be just right. Thicker slices remain too hard; Thinner slices tend to fall apart.
- Don’t overload the pizzas. They are MINI pizzas. If you put too much on it, everything will slip off.
Make it your own
As I mentioned above, you can let your creativity run free when it comes to toppings. There are any number of pizza toppings, so choose what you like best. Pretty much anything goes, but remember not much fits on it! do them vegetarian by simply omitting the pepperoni.
If the idea of a no-carb pizza appeals to you, try pizza chicken, pizza stuffed spaghetti squash, or pizza quinoa stuffed peppers.
Storage and reheating tips
Zucchini pizza bites are best eaten fresh. If you have any leftover, store in a single layer and covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat them in the microwave or bake them in your toaster oven until heated through.
Did you do this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!
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Zucchini pizza bites are a low-carb pizza option thanks to a zucchini “crust.” Perfect for a quick snack, a fun appetizer or even a light meal.
instructions
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Place the oven rack 6 inches from the grill and preheat (high) the grill.
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Lightly spray the rim of the baking pan with olive oil spray. Place zucchini slices on the pan and turn so both sides are coated with oil. Sprinkle lightly with Italian seasoning.
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Place under the grill for 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and turn each slice over.
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Top each slice with sauce (about ½ teaspoon), mozzarella cheese, a slice of pepperoni, and parmesan.
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Return the zucchini to the oven and roast for 1 to 2 minutes or until the peppers are slightly crispy and the cheese is melted.
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Allow to cool for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.
Remarks
- Yield will vary depending on the size of the zucchini and how thick you cut it.
- If you want, omit the pepperoni and make cheese pizzas. The pepperoni can also be replaced with other toppings of your choice.
- Zucchini pizza bites are best eaten fresh. If you have any leftover, store in a single layer and covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat them in the microwave or bake them in your toaster oven until heated through.
- Recipe updated on 11/30/2022.
Nutritional Information
Portion: 5bites, Calories: 121kcal, Carbohydrates: 5G, Protein: 7G, Fat: 9G, Saturated Fatty Acids: 4G, Polyunsaturated fat: 1G, Monounsaturated fatty acids: 3G, trans fats: 0.2G, Cholesterol: 22mg, Sodium: 332mg, Potassium: 355mg, Fiber: 1G, Sugar: 3G, Vitamin A: 371IU, Vitamin C: 20mg, Calcium: 109mg, Iron: 1mg
Approximate nutritional information is provided on this website for convenience only. Nutritional data is collected primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database (where available) or other online calculators.